Memantine for Neuropathic Pain & Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, CRPS

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Neuropathic pain syndromes show an over-expression of NMDA receptors in the brain in animal models. Ketamine blocks the NMDA receptor. Another medication with the same mechanism, but in pill form is memantine. This report on six patients of the use of memantine for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) from 2007 in the Clinical Journal of Pain, six months after treatment with memantine, showed significant decrease in pain, improved motor symptoms and autonomic changes, and fMRI changes on the affected side improving, comparable to the unaffected side of the brain.

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It was approved for Alzheimer’s dementia gradually titrating to a dose of 28 mg/day, but for decades has been very useful off label for neuropathic pain including but not limited to CRPS, at a dose of 55 mg/day, and in recent years often prescribed for migraine.

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Ketamine is highly successful also for treatment resistant depression, and one patient, a psychiatrist disabled from the unfortunate triad of intractable neuropathic pain, migraine and treatment resistant depression, while slowly titrating to a dose of 55 mg/day, a process that takes almost 3 months, found depression relieved for the first time in decades at the dose of 35 mg. It was highly effective as one component of the multi-pronged approach for all three conditions.

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This life is a hard fact. We all need all the help, encouragement and positive attitudes we can get. Complex intractable pain and/or depression requires rational polypharmacy, selectively chosen based upon well known mechanisms, neurotransmitters, receptors, hormones, stress reduction, cognitive behavioral therapy, physical therapy, occupational therapy, nerve blocks, and spiritual understanding, etc. Several choices were summarized almost two years ago here.

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In my experience, memantine is very well tolerated with few if any side effects but covered by insurance only for mild to moderate dementia. Thus, not only is it highly challenging to treat neuropathic pain, but important to creatively meet the challenges of our backwards medical system that barely recognizes the needs of those with chronic pain.

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The material on this site is for informational purposes only.

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It is not legal for me to provide medical advice without an examination.

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It is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment provided by a qualified health care provider.

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Comments are welcome.

This site is not for email, not for medical questions, and not for appointments.

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